Adoration of a Sniper
by Tomoyuki
Summary: Zell is in love with Selphie. But Irvine is jealous and wants revenge (revised)


Adoration Of A Sniper  
  
Author: Tomoyuki Shiratori  
  
Summary: A love story about Zell and Selphie with a mean Irvine (I have nothing against him, but he is the character I don't feel any emotions for, sorry.)  
  
Author's Note: 25th of Mai 2000 It's one of my first "published" story ever, so I like your opinion! Sorry for any spelling mistakes! I got many critics saying that my spelling is bad, but that's normal as you learn 4 languages together (English, Dutch, French and German). And I know my parents have misnamed me completely! ( I am a boy!!! Let's start shall we!  
  
Second Author's note: 10th of November 2002 Well, this is the revised version. I didn't really think anyone was interested in this story until some of you submitted a review and well, you said it wasn't readable because there are no paragraphs. In this revised version I corrected mistakes and worked at the layout! Well A lot of fun and keep reviewing so I know that I didn't revise this story for nobody!  
  
Disclaimer: Characters are property of SquareSoft.  
  
  
  
"Trust me, he adores you"! Zell grabbed Selphie's shoulder. "Please, why don't you believe me"  
  
Selphie looked up and rolled her eyes. "Hello, earth to Zell, we are fighting constantly"  
  
Zell raised his shoulders. "So, every couple got words, nothing to worry about!"  
  
Selphie sighed and looked angry to her friend. "NOT EVERY DAY they have."  
  
She turned away, looking at the sunset. The air was filled with the scent of wild flowers who were growing rampant the paths to Balamb Garden. Selphie slowly caught a peddle that was lifted off the surface by a nice breeze. "You don't understand" she continued after a while. "Irvine is. I mean. How could we ever be in love as we argue about everything that crosses our path."  
  
Her big eyes searched for Zell's glance, but she couldn't catch it. He just gazed at the rocky beaches near the Garden. The sun lit his face and painted it in a thousand colours, flowing into each other as he moved his head. He reminded her at Squall, only he wasn't that introvert. It was so long ago she met the guys, after defeating Ultimecia they all had chosen their own path. Squall and Rinoa settled down in Winhill. Squall became a writer, Rinoa went back studying politics. They got a son and a daughter: Tommy and Raine (after Squall's mother). Quistis headed for Galbadia Garden and became an instructor again. Edea and her husband Cid established a new Garden in Trabia, training new SeeDs. Laguna still reigned over Esthar, assisted by Ward and Kiros. Nira was engaged with Xu. The wedding should take place in a few weeks and Zell was already nervous because Nira had chosen him as best man! Seifer finally became a SeeD, as well as Rajin and Fujin. They were dispatched now to Dollet were some monsters ran amok.  
  
And then there was Irvine and herself. They had a relation, but it wasn't stable. Irvine was also an instructor and he rather stayed with his students in the bar than be with her. A painful expression crossed Selphie's face. Her love for him was at the beginning of their relation so deep, but he denied it. How many nights she cried in her empty bed, longing to someone to talk with. Irvine always came home drunk and slept in the sofa, not looking at Selphie. He left early in the morning to his class. Luckily there was Zell.  
  
She still remembered the first day. He was sitting there in the cafeteria, eating his hotdogs, whole alone. As she pushed her plate with food onto his table, he looked up. Selphie was stroke by his beautiful gray eyes. He looked so familiar. Zell and Selphie were never best friends and they didn't meet each other after the final battle against the sorceress. Selphie had dyed her hair in black and Zell had finally developed the facial expressions of a real man. They observed each other for quiet a long time, then he shook her hand who was laying on the table and introduced himself. As they both discovered each others name, they laughed, bringing up memories. He acted funny, but he couldn't hide the pain in his eyes. As he finished he looked sad and stared again to his hotdogs. As she took his hand she felt the warmth of his skin. She didn't ask anything and Selphie just left him in silence. When they said goodbye, Selphie felt miserable. She worried sick about that boy. Why is he so sad, what happened with him to make him feel so miserable.  
  
The next day, the same happened as the day before. They sad quietly across each other, eating silently their meal. Zell was changed: the hyperactive boy didn't exist any longer. That evening she met him again in the ball room. That same night, they walked together under the stars, listening to the drumming waves who splashed against the dark rocks surrounding the Garden. As they both settled down, close to each other (cause Selphie was wearing only an evening dress) she placed her arm around his shoulders. As she felt his head on her shoulder and his warm tears she felt satisfied. "Just cry out" she had whispered and Zell had pressed himself closely to her body. She couldn't deny she was blushing. Luckily the moon just hided itself after a dark cloud. Finally he told her why he was so down.  
  
He had loved this girl, but she didn't answer his love. She felt in love with Nira. A few months later Selphie would discover that Zell was in love with Xu. She understood Zell and she felt a bit attracted to him. He was a good looking boy. Blond hair, beautiful gray eyes. He was a boy, merely a man and so different than Irvine. He was never drunk and he respected her.  
  
Selphie never knew what Zell was thinking. He was a special boy, she decided. As he stood there, enjoying the evening, she smiled. Sometimes she just felt like a big sister to him, but as he took her in his arms, she felt the most desirable woman of the Garden. She had seen the jealous glances as she walked with him around the Garden. She knew many girls wanted to date him, but they didn't had the guts to ask him, afraid to drown in his beautiful eyes. Oh yeah, Irvine was jealous. He didn't speak a word as he saw them that bright sunny day, a couple of days ago, as they both walked in the quad, inspecting the stage. He just turned around and walked away, but when she came home, they had a terrible fight. Irvine accused her of jumping onto every man she saw and Selphie had took his collection of "Girl Next Door" and had threw it into the fire place. They both left angry, Irvine searching for his alcohol, Selphie, looking for Zell. But she couldn't find him. She heard of Xu he had been dispatched to Deling to assassinate a corrupt politician.  
  
A week later she saw Zell back in the infirmary. He had a bad head wound. He was beaten up by the bodyguards of the politician, but he did get the change to kill them, including the politician. Selphie had staid at his side, which made Irvine furious. But Selphie didn't tell Zell a single thing. She didn't want to involve him in this fight. But a couple of days ago, she was running through the Garden with tears in her eyes. She met the blond accidentally and she couldn't lie to him, so she told him about Irvine and her loneliness. They agreed to have a serious talk about it that same evening on the bell tower of the Garden. So there they were.  
  
As the sea coloured into gold, Selphie felt bad. She closely approached Zell and hugged him tight. He looked a bit confused, but after a while he hugged her back.  
  
"He is so afraid of falling in love and be hurt again" she thought. It made her cry. "Perhaps I didn't capture the heart of both" she whispered. Zell looked into Selphie's brown eyes.  
  
"You were saying something" he asked.  
  
Selphie shook her head. "Nothing, it's nothing" she stumbled. "just hold me close for a while" she asked and she saw Zell grinning.  
  
How she adored these summer evenings. Suddenly she felt a stream of warmth running through her veins, spreading over her whole body. Little butterflies surrounded the two friends and it was raining red peddles. A couple of birds flew through the sky, singing their songs, filling the air with sweet tunes and little white feathers. She looked into Zell's eyes. She saw the black pupil of his eye, surrounded by the gray-colour of his iris. "Just like bullets through a diamond sky" she whispered. Zell looked surprised. "what?" he frowned. "Your eyes" she said and she pinched him softly but sure. "Tell me" she asked. "Do you. have. your.. Eyes on me?" Selphie blushed but it were the only words she could think off.  
  
"Eyes on you" he smiled. And he looked deep into her eyes. "What if I do, you are with Irvine!"  
  
She saw a painful expression on his mouth. "But do you" she asked inpatient. Zell softly touched Selphie cheek and kissed her. "Perhaps I have my eyes on you."  
  
Selphie was over with joy. She hugged Zell again and kissed him tenderly on the mouth. "With this kiss, I hope you realize you are no dreamer": she laughed.  
  
"We're so good in saying lyrics" Zell joked. He laid his arm around her shoulder. He turned to watch the sea again and saw a dark shadow in the corner of the bell tower. Heavy boots and a cowboy hat were easily recognisable. "It's getting cold" Sephie whispered and she left Zell alone to get a sweater.  
  
A dark voice echoed over the Garden. "I will get you for this, SeeD!"  
  
Zell shivered. The person left his dark spot and walked into the rising sun. A gun was reflecting the sunlight. It blinded Zell for a second.  
  
"That was a foolish thing to do" Irvine sad furious. His rifle pointed at Zell's chest. "I HATE cheaters who mislay my girlfriend." He laughed evilly.  
  
"SHE." Zell started but Irvine shouted: "SHUT UP, you tangled with the wrong man, kid." The petit blond felt an anger bursting inside his belly, forcing a way to his lungs and heart. "You Fucking." Zell screamed. "  
  
SHE'S MINE" Irvine yelled. He slowly placed his finger on the trigger. "You think you are mister nice-boy, now don't you!" Irvine grinned evilly and put off his safety. "You'll eat my lead, mister Balamb beauty 2002"  
  
Zell saw a movement in the darkness of the staircase. As he screamed a gun fired and covered a loud yell. A body fell down. Zell stood frozen. "No." he whispered. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO " he screamed hysterically. He knelt down next to the slap body of Selphie. "Selphie" he cried and he looked at Irvine standing there with his smoking gun in his hands. "YOU KILLED HER" Zell screamed and he jumped onto Irvine.  
  
Totally surprised he let his gun fell down. The loud sound of the metal falling on the floor made both men shiver. Zell was furious, but Irvine, recovered out of his surprise, punched him in the stomach, throwing him against the stone wall. "Don't mess with me, it's all your fault she's death. I will kill you too" Irvine yelled and he tried to catch his gun.  
  
But Zell was quicker and kicked the Valiant over the edge of the bell tower. He saw the fire in Irvine's eyes and felt his knees tremble as Irvine kicked the young SeeD onto the edge of the bell tower. He saw that his rival was taking a gunblade of the wall (there were hanging there as decoration). Fire was flying everywhere as Irvine tried to hit Zell. But the young boy was quicker and rolled away. He fell with a thud against the wall, taking rapidly a gunblade. The two men were now both armed. Underneath the bell tower a large crowd had gathered to see the battle. Black clouds drifted towards each other, collapsing in a squall with thunder that lightened the bell tower. Zell felt the strength of his opponent as the gunblades collided. Suddenly he slipped and he felt the metal cutting through his hand.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH" Zell yelled as his hand was cut off and smashed against the wall. Irvine laughed evilly. "Pay time" he grinned and attacked again. The rain fell down out of the dark sky, drumming on the marble floor of the tower. The blond boy avoided the attack and summoned Thundaga. The blast was terrible and he saw Irvine trembling. Fatigued by the loss of blood, Zell looked at the Galbadian cowboy.  
  
"You made the biggest mistake of your life" he screamed. Irvine looked into the boy's eyes. "I can't loose" he laughed and he kicked the gunblade out of Zell's only hand. "You are at your end station here!" the cowboy yelled. Zell saw the gunblade in slow motion come down. The battle techniques ran through his mind. Just in time he blocked the sword, pushing Irvine to the edge of the bell tower. "What you gonna do" Irvine laughed, feeling the blood out of his nose flowing over his mouth. "You are unarmed and a poor excuse for a SeeD." Irvine laughed. Zell fell down, all wet from the rain. His hair felt before his eyes and troubled his view. He didn't see that Irvine took silently the gunblade. A girl screamed below and Zell could move just in time. He kicked Irvine in the stomach, but Irvine was quick and threw him back on the floor. "NOW I WILL KILL YOU" he screamed hysterically. He moved his sword above his head and wanted to break Zell's skull open, as the sound of the bells overwhelmed the tower.  
  
Both men could feel the tower trembling. Their ears were hurting terribly. Irvine screamed and turned away from his target, slowly pushed by the vibrations to the edge of the tower. Zell tried to move, but Irvine saw the attempt of escape and grabbed the blonde's foot, slowly raising his gunblade. But suddenly Zell jumped onto Irvine. The two rivals rolled over the tower floor, scratching and fighting each other. A lightening bold stroke suddenly the rooftop, making the building tremble again, as an earthquake attacked the stone walls of the Garden. The wet floor was slippery and both man glided over the mysteriously drawings on the floor, matching the tattoos on Zell's face. They reached the end of the balcony. With the power of a thousand Caterpillars they crashed into the stone balustrade who crumbled off. With the stone fragments both men fell down the bell tower.  
  
Darkness. In the background he could hear the sound of the rain, beating on the roof of the infirmary. Zell opened his eyes. He was laying in a bed. Doctor Kadowaki came slowly towards him. "So you are awake' she said concerned. "Selphie" Zell tried to say. The doctor looked at her patient and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, my boy, but all the help came too late, she died, just like Irvine Kinneas" Kadowaki said and the blond boy fell unconscious again.  
  
*********  
  
The sea was still the same as he remembered. But the tears that flew over his cheeks were new. Zell looked at his arm and his missing hand. Selphie was death, Irvine was death. Xu got married with his best friend Nida, why trying to survive in this cruel world. He caught a peddle of a dying rose and looked at the sea. "I'm coming to you" he whispered. "you'll be there, waiting for me" he said confident and he closed his eyes and jumped off the cliff. As he saw the light and the friendly smile of Selphie he knew he was in heaven!  
  
"Normally SeeDs die at a old age, or in a mission on the battlefield. But this young man choose for his love and couldn't life with that loss. He lives now, only in our memories."  
  
Nida threw a SeeD-emblem into the sea. "This is for you and Selphie" he whispered and he turned around, taking Xu's hand, kissing away her tears. Squall and Rinoa looked watched how the waves grabbed the badge. Squall placed his head on Rinoa's shoulders. A tear flew over his cheek. Nida looked at Squall and nodded his head. He walked towards his friend and laid an arm on his shoulder. "We'll miss them": he whispered as he saw the tear falling down on the sand. Squall smiled and took Rinoa in his arms. Two children ran towards the group of SeeDs.  
  
"Daddy, daddy": the young boy said. "Look what we found." For a moment the sun reflected in the silver bottoms on the black glove, laying in Tommy's hand. "It's a real treasure": Squall's daughter yelled. Rinoa nodded and walked towards her children. "Keep this safe for it will bring luck": she smiled and ruffled in Tommy's hair. "Oh mum, stop that, you'll ruin my hair" he complained. Nida began laughing and suddenly grabbed Tommy and swung him through the air. The boy laughed happily. "Look dad, I'm flying": he yelled and Squall looked at the glove, waving in his son's hand.  
  
Squall grabbed Rinoa's hand. "Let's go to the Garden" he whispered and Xu nodded happily and the friends walked away into the sunset. But from across the sea there came a voice, like an angel was singing: "Darling so there you are, with that look on your face. As if you're never hurt, as if you're never down. Shall I be the one for you, who pinches you softly, but sure. If frown is shown than I will know that you are not dreaming."  
  
THE END  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Well, this was the revised version. I hope it's clearer now! Anyway, I didn't change the contents of the story. The only thing I added was the last piece with Squall and Rinoa meeting Nida and Xu. I corrected the mistakes. well, I hope you will enjoy it and review me please!!!!!!! It's great to hear that people actually like this story. I always thought it was bad.  
  
Anyway 2 years after I first read it, I'm beginning to think that this story is good. Because after reading and correcting it, I feel that there is a message in this fanfic. I truly believe it. 


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